With high winds from the northwest expected for Friday, the Rural Fire Service (RFS) has issued a warning to residents.
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The warning comes as the bushfire danger period commences on Saturday, September 1.
The danger period was brought forward a month due to drought conditions in the Southern Highlands.
RFS community safety officer Inspector David Stimson advised residents to take the necessary precautions.
“We’re urging people to be careful if they’re going to undertake burning,” Inspector Stimson said.
“We do know there’s a lot of people trying to get burning done before Saturday. There will be high winds from the northwest in the Wingecarribee Shire on Friday. Coupled with dry soil moisture, it’s easy for any fires to escape.
“We’re asking residents postpone burning until the winds moderate. However after Saturday they will need to have a fire permit.”
Recently the Southern Highlands RFS team has had between four to six call-outs each week to escaped burns in the Wingecarribee and Wollondilly Shires.
Tips for burning:
- Check the weather forecast prior to burning.
- Make sure you have continuous water at hand.
- Clear the area and make sure you don’t leave the fire attended.
- It’s best to have a small burn. Start with a small fire and feed the other material onto the fire, rather than burning it all at once.
Visit https://www.wsc.nsw.gov.au/services/environment/bushfire-management/bushfire-danger-period for details on the bushfire danger period.